The Eye of the World

Baker & TaylorRelates a tale of the bestial Trollocs, the witch Moiraine, and three boys, one of whom is fated to become the Dragon--the World's only hope and the sure means of its destruction

McMillan Palgrave

Now in development for TV!

Since its debut in 1990, The Wheel of Time® by Robert Jordan has captivated millions of readers around the globe with its scope, originality, and compelling characters.

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

When The Two Rivers is attacked by Trollocs—a savage tribe of half-men, half-beasts— five villagers flee that night into a world they barely imagined, with new dangers waiting in the shadows and in the light.

TV series update: "Sony will produce along with Red Eagle Entertainment and Radar Pictures. Rafe Judkins is attached to write and executive produce. Judkins previously worked on shows such as ABC’s “Agents of SHIELD,” the Netflix series “Hemlock Grove,” and the NBC series “Chuck.” Red Eagle partners Rick Selvage and Larry Mondragon will executive produce along with Radar’s Ted Field and Mike Weber. Darren Lemke will also executive produce, with Jordan’s widow Harriet McDougal serving as consulting producer." —Variety

The Wheel of Time®New Spring: The Novel#1 The Eye of the World#2 The Great Hunt#3 The Dragon Reborn#4 The Shadow Rising#5 The Fires of Heaven#6 Lord of Chaos#7 A Crown of Swords#8 The Path of Daggers#9 Winter's Heart#10 Crossroads of Twilight#11 Knife of Dreams

By Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson#12 The Gathering Storm#13 Towers of Midnight#14 A Memory of Light

By Robert Jordan and Teresa PattersonThe World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time

By Robert Jordan, Harriet McDougal, Alan Romanczuk, and Maria SimonsThe Wheel of Time Companion

By Robert Jordan and Amy RomanczukPatterns of the Wheel: Coloring Art Based on Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time

As promised, this is a review of the first book in Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series. (I read the prequel, New Spring first, although it was written later.)
Moiraine Sedai and Lan Mandragoran have spent much time searching throughout the land for the child who will become the "Dragon". In the backwater Two Rivers area, they realize they have found him when the village is attacked by evil creatures. The creatures target three teen boys specifically - Rand, Mat, and Perrin; Moiraine and Lan take the boys away, hoping to take them to safety at Tar Valon. The Eye of the World follows the group's journey, as the boys realize each of them will play an important part in saving the land from The Evil One.
I mentioned in my review for New Spring that that book assumed a knowledge of certain terms used throughout the series; luckily, many of those terms are explained in greater detail in this volume. There are also a series of maps of different areas of the land in which the story takes place, and the ever-helpful glossary at the back of the book.
I really enjoyed this volume (even more than I liked the prequel), so I think I will continue reading the series for a while longer.

When the Trollocs -- half-human, half-beast -- attack the Two Rivers district in the county of Andor, a handful of survivors escape into the wilderness -- including shepherd boy Rand Al'Thor, craftsman Perrin Aybara, and their friend Matrim "Mat" Cauthon. Despite their humble origins, these young men are destined to battle an ancient and powerful evil. Rich in its allusions to world mythology and religion, this opening installment of The Wheel of Time series also boasts a sprawling cast of characters, in-depth world-building, and a highly intricate plot.

The Eye of the World (Robert Jordan) is the first book of the Wheel of Time series. It explores the adventures of Rand al’Thor, Mat Cauthon, and Perrin Aybara, three farm boys who never thought they’d leave their small hometown, but discover their own power after finding that the stories they dismissed as myths are all true, and the fate of the world rests on their shoulders.
Though this may sound like a cliche, I can guarantee it is anything but. The Eye of the World is one of the most complex books in one of the most complex series I’ve ever read, with deep, varied characters and creatures, complicated settings with traits unique to each one, and an intriguing, meticulously detailed storyline that will keep you thinking about it all the time. The intricacy is equivalent to (or possibly even surpassing) that of the Inheritance Cycle, and there’s always more to explore.
I would recommend this novel to anyone who’s craving an adventurous, phantasmagorical novel where they are guaranteed to never be bored. Happy Reading!
- @freckleface675 of the Teen Review Board at the Hamilton Public Library

1) Nearly 700 thin, single-spaced pages, and I almost never got bored reading this
2) Chock full of references to mythologies of various cultures
3) Elemental magic
4) This is pretty much the definition of an adventure story
5) Extraordinary world-building

The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow...
The Wheel of Time. Also known as an inflated copy of Lord of the Rings.
I can truthfully say that Jordan (RIP) was a King of Fantasy, if not in epic complexity, then in epic page count. This monstrously big series spans over 13 massive books (each at least 700 pages). Including "A Wheel of Time" on this list invariably riles certain people and it's probably, for some, the most controversial addition to this list. Why? The past several years a new type of fantasy has come to the fore of the genre: gone are the hopefully optimistic village boys wielding magic swords on a quest to defeat the impossible; in their place, a gritty fantasy has arisen; a stark genre where the very conventions of what it means to be a hero are challenged: worlds are made of gray not black and white; heroes may be both villain and savior; love is powerful, but ultimately ephemeral; heroes die and villains live. It's complex stuff that is often genre blending.
Since the happier days of Jordan in the 90's, fantasy has all grown up. Postmodernism is in. Antiheroes are vogue. Happy Heroes on a quest are most definitely not in fashion. Indeed, classic fantasy with callow village boys and dark wizards are often viewed with contempt by the modern fantasy aficionado who's standards in plotting, storytelling, and characterization have evolved.
Robert Jordan hearkens back to the old school days where village boys and dark lords chase each other endlessly across a landscape. However, I (still) strongly feel that Jordan still (even in 2014) deserves a place amongst the top of the genre for, if nothing more, the enormous contribution the man has made to the fantasy genre itself. You can call the WOT pulp fantasy or not, you can spend hours debating whether Jordan's efforts fell to pieces part way through the series, you can moan about how typecast some of the characters become. It's all moot! Jordan, whether you like him or not, had a profound impact on fantasy. Is he as impacting as Martin? No. But you can bet your shoes that the man has inspired several generation of writers who went on to take the classic trappings and turned them into something darker, something newer, something with the face of classic fantasy but more mature, more edgy.
Jordan takes the classic fantasy trappings laid out by Tolkien, and weaves together a massively complex tapestry of politics, kingdoms, and magic. Besides, Tolkien, you won't find another author that breathes as much depth into a fictional world. In many ways, Jordan, like Tolkien, has defined (for better or worse) one aspect of the modern fantasy tale. And he's perhaps was one of the most popular fantasy writers of his generation. Love him or hate him, you owe it to yourself to at least read the first book. Overall, I thought "Eye of the World" was a good start and Im excited to continue the story!

Summary

Swept from his home in the Two Rivers, Rand al'Thor finds himself drawn into an age-old conflict that has occured thousands of time in the past - a continuous cycle of battle between the Dark One and the people of the world. Rand will soon discover that the mysterious woman and her protector are more than they seem - and that he is more than he seems.